A person familiar with the case said a bill of information is expected to be filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court against Officer Michael Hunter Jr. The person was not authorized to discuss the case and therefore spoke on condition of anonymity.

Some reading this who are not familiar with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina may not recall the infamous 'Danziger Seven' Indicted in 2006 were:click on picture for larger versionFrom left: Robert Barrios, Robert Faulcon Jr., Ignatius Hills, Robert Gisevius Jr., Kenneth Bowen, Anthony Villavaso II, and Michael Hunter Jr. (AP Photo) (AP)

Monday, March 29, 2010

I'm usually not a political poster, too many nuances in politics for me to deal with. But lately this "tea party" bullshit has been gnawing at my nerves. Americans DON'T act like this against fellow Americans. What's wrong with this?

I read somewhere in the NOLA blogosphere about an editorial that says all of this violence is related to the GOP-ers reacting in fear about all the "non whites" taking over power in this country.

Well, good old boys, time to roll with the changes. High time to roll with the changes if you ask me.

Until I read the columns linked below, I always thought I was being a little sensitive to some of the Republicans' insane rants and raves and lies against President Obama. But now that I read it in black and white, I see how crazy these people really, really are!!!

then there's an op ed called The Absence of Class which beginsA group of lowlifes at a Tea Party rally in Columbus, Ohio, last week taunted and humiliated a man who was sitting on the ground with a sign that said he had Parkinson’s disease. The disgusting behavior was captured on a widely circulated videotape. One of the Tea Party protesters leaned over the man and sneered: “If you’re looking for a handout, you’re in the wrong end of town.”

Another threw money at the man, first one bill and then another, and said contemptuously, “I’ll pay for this guy. Here you go. Start a pot.”

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

I usually don't believe in lynchings, but after reading this story and looking at this video, I do. Reading the story made me immediately cry. The story starts at the 1:20 point of this video.

Police say they have rescued a severely malnourished 9-year-old Louisiana boy who was being held as a prisoner in his own home.

"He was weighing 38 pounds," Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's spokeswoman Kim Myers said. She the child was being held in the room with a dog leash.

He was also covered in bruises and burns on his face and body.

"He had a second degree burn on his back that was caused by a sock that had rice in that was heated up and was placed on his back," Myers explained his stepmother allegedly was responsible for the abuse.

Further allegations are even more graphic and outlined in the news release from the Sheriff's office below. Be warned the claims are disturbing.

Police say the stepmother, 27-year-old Jaime B. Day, is facing dozens of charges and locked up with a bond at more than $5 million. Her two children living in the house were reportedly not abused.

The new release says Day was "depriving the child of food, not allowing him to eat with the family but forcing him to watch the family eat. It was also determined the boy would be so hungry at times he would eat his own feces and drink his own urine to survive."

The child's biological father, 30-year-old Murray Day, turned himself in late Tuesday. His bail is set at $2 million.

Read the entire news release:

On February 19 the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office received a complaint from a woman living in Moss Bluff concerning the welfare of a nine year old child. When questioned by CPSO Deputy Jason Schnake, the complainant advised him the child was very thin and possibly being forced to stay in his bedroom. He also learned the child resided with his father and stepmother in south Lake Charles.

Schnake traveled to the house in south Lake Charles to check on the welfare of the child. Once inside the house he observed a dog leash that was tied from one door knob to another to keep a nine year old boy weighing 38 pounds inside the room where he was laying on the only thing in the room, a filthy foam pallet on top of box springs covered with blood. On the pallet was a bloody and urine saturated sheet. The smell of urine was very strong in the room. The boy was dressed in a t-shirt, shorts and wearing a diaper with multiple bruises to his body and face.

The boy was taken to the hospital where he stayed for 13 days. It was determined at the hospital his body temperature was 92 � which indicated he was in hypothermia due to malnutrition.

Further investigation revealed his stepmother, Jaime B. Day, 27, 2841 Southern Ridge Dr., Lake Charles, was depriving the child of food, not allowing him to eat with the family but forcing him to watch the family eat. It was also determined the boy would be so hungry at times he would eat his own feces and drink his own urine to survive.

There was a 2nd degree burn on the boy's back caused by Day placing a sock containing rice that was heated up on his back.

Day has been charged with 25 counts of cruelty to a juvenile and 2 counts of 2nd degree cruelty to a juvenile. Judge David Ritchie set her bond at $5.5 million. She has been booked into the Calcasieu Correctional Center.

The father, Murry Dalton Day, 30, same address, is being charged with 5 counts of cruelty to a juvenile; and 1 counts of 2nd degree cruelty to a juvenile. Judge David Ritchie set his bond at $2 million. A warrant has been issued for his arrest. He is expected to turn himself into the Calcasieu Correctional Center today.

After examining the child, doctors have verified the injuries and the malnutrition are consistent with child abuse. Detectives have determined this abuse occurred from late last year until present.

There are two other children in the home � a 4 year old boy who is the biological child of the Day's, and a 6 year old boy who is Jaime Day's child and adopted by Murry Day. Those two children do not appear to have been abused. All three children have been removed from the home.

Six years ago, the biological mother of the 9 year old boy's parental rights were terminated when the Office of Community Service determined physical abuse had occurred. Murry Day was given custody of the boy at that time.

CPSO Detective Michael Primeaux is the lead investigator on this case. The investigation is continuing with more arrests possible.

The child was suffering from burns... there was blood and urine all over the room at the south Lake Charles home.

And of course, in cases like this, families of these abusive animals are coming to their rescue. From this website:Several people, who know the family, have posted comments of support for Jaime, on our Facebook page. Some said the boy already had sever mental issues. Several attempts have been made by 7 News to speak with these people, but no one has come forward. 7 News also attempted to speak with Jaime Day's attorney, Walter Sanchez. He also declined to comment.

Friday, March 05, 2010

Today was my Friday off and it promised to be a rain free day (finally), so we decided to grab the cameras and ride around to see what was going on in the East and Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.

New Orleans East was hard hit by the storm and is finally looking like she's getting help. Right after the storm, we took a bike ride on a levee that was completely run over by the storm surge, bringing HUGE boats with it. Check out the pictures here.

for anyone interested, these are called "bottom dump trucks". (I only mention it because I had a difficult time finding a picture of the trucks that are doing the work).

This levee seems to be on a fast track to being repaired and raised. Day and night there has been a parade of heavy-duty "new fangled" dump trucks bringing landfill into the East from points beyond. They must be on a tight schedule, too because these drivers are literally hauling ass, making the corner from Powers Junction to Highway 11 to get back to I10 and to wherever they're picking up their landfill.

For all of you who don't work at Michoud, Folgers or Textron in the East, this is what is known as Powers Junction, where Highway 11 meets Highway 90. Boring geographical fact: Highway 11 runs from New Orleans to Maine. Powers Junction is where it ends.

So, after searching for a part that came off of my car one morning last week at Powers Junction, we decided to check out the Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge. We visited this area of wetlands rebirth last July.

The boardwalk has been kept safe - we saw indications of replaced boards where needed.

What was so awesome about being at this place, just 10 miles from New Orleans, is the quiet. It's soothing.

Our approach to the outlook in one section of the boardwalk disturbed the "pouldeaus" - better known as American Coots. They're some kind of waterbird that like to hang out in this area in winter. They were cautious, but kept their distance from us.

After exploring the NWR, we decided to head to the city of Bay St. Louis for lunch. Glad we did. We had some great fried catfish at Rickeys and then made sure we took a picture of this for days when we need a smile.